In many systems, electric power may be required to enable use and/or operation of the systems. In this regard, electric power may be required to drive system components (e.g., mechanical components, electronic components, or the like). The electric power may be obtained from external, dedicated power sources (e.g., power outlets, or dedicated power generators). Nonetheless, the power required to support system operations may not always be readily available—e.g., when connection to external and/or dedicated power sources may not be feasible, such as when the system is moving. For example, aircrafts or other airborne systems may require power while inflight, when connectivity to external electric power sources may not be feasible. Accordingly, internal power supply sources may be utilized to provide electric power when external power sources are not available.
Examples of internal power supply sources may comprise batteries and similar power storage/discharge systems. In this regard, such internal power supply sources may be configured to store power, and to subsequently discharge the stored power (when needed). For example, internal power supply sources may be charged when possible—e.g., when connectivity to external electric power sources is possible. The internal power supply sources may then discharge the stored power in a system comprising the internal power supply sources, such as when power is needed to drive components of the system. The process of charging the internal power supply sources and then discharging them (when needed) may be repeated (e.g., when the internal power supply sources are ‘rechargeable’).
The charging, recharging, and/or discharging of power supply storage/supply sources may pose some risks, however. For example, in batteries comprised of multiple cells, some cells may exhibit varying charging characteristics, and such variations in charging characteristics may cause some undesired effects. A cell that does not exhibit, for example, equivalent rise time characteristics as of the other cells assembled in a battery pack, may cause the battery pack not achieve its designed charge capacity, or it may cause the battery pack to be subjected to over-charge. In this regard, if the cell exhibits a slow rise time, the cell may fail to charge to the same level as the remaining cells in the pack; and if the cell exhibits a rapid rise time, the cell may charge faster than the remaining cells in the pack, thus posing the risk of over-charging. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an apparatus and method for characterizing battery cells for use in battery packs which may be utilized in various systems, such as aircrafts.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects, as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.